Bend It Wind Ace Jacket

November 14th, 2016 by Bryan Ball

By BRYAN J. BALL

Managing Editor

Okay. I have to selfishly take a bit of credit for this one. Curtis Washington of Bend It asked me a year or so ago what sort of products I’d like to see from his company. I mentioned these cool windbreakers that Burley used to make. They were a regular windbreaker in the front with mesh on the back. Perfect for leaning against a seat and pedaling into the wind. I’d kind of forgotten about the conversation. Then Curtis walked up to our booth at Recumbent Cycle Con and handed me one! They call it the Wind Ace and it’s available now.

The front and sleeves of the Wind Ace are made from a polyester wind blocking material. The rear panel is made from a very breathable mesh. The first thing I noticed about the Wind Ace jacket was how shockingly light it is. This is one piece of clothing that is not going to weigh you down on a ride. It also can pack up into a very small package to put it a seat bag or maybe even a large jersey pocket.

By “light” I don’t mean “lightly constructed.” The Wind Ace is a quality piece of clothing. The material is very thin but so are most cycling windbreakers I’ve owed. Sizing on Bend It clothing has always been a bit small (I wear a Large size shirt but have to get Bend It jerseys in XL) but the Wind Ace is runs even smaller still. I wear a XXL in this jacket and I’m only 5’ 11” and 190 lbs. Bend It says they are trying to fix that.

The actual performance of the Wind Ace jacket was everything I’d hoped for. Bend It advertises the jacket as being perfect for temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I found this to be very accurate. Unfortunately, I spent more time at the lower end of the temperature spectrum. It performed very well down to the mid-40’s with a long sleeve jersey underneath. Wind was blocked pretty well from the front and my back didn’t get too sweaty with the breathable material on the back.

There are also two pretty good-sized zipper pockets on the front for smaller items. I prefer side pockets, but that’s a personal preference.

The Wind Ace costs a pretty reasonable $54 on the Bend It site. For that price, I think it’s a pretty valuable addition to any recumbent rider’s closet. Especially those of us who still pedal with some aggression in the fall months and don’t want to come home with a sweaty back.